Monthly Archives: April 2012

On April 19 Festival Foods was honored to receive the “Minnesota Grown Retailer of the Year” award! Pictured is Minnesota Grown spokesperson Carrie Tollefson, Rod Borden Director of Produce and Jason Herfel Vice President of Fresh Foods at Festival Foods. As a small local business we understand perhaps better than the chain stores that our local farmers are an important part of their communities just as our stores and associates play an important role each community they are located.     While Whole Foods & other chains define local as “only products that have traveled less than a day (7 or fewer hours by car or truck)” our definition at Festival Foods is a lot closer to home. Here are some of the wonderful families and farms  that have provided our local produce for many years. Axdahl’s Garden Farm-Brian and Leslie, Stillwater MN Pahl Farm- Gary and Brian Pahl, Apple Valley MN … Continue reading

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  One item always on our shopping list at this time of year is Asparagus, we had it for dinner three times last week! Steaming and roasting the asparagus are my favorite methods to cook the Asparagus. Roasting is so simple just wash and trim the Asparagus toss to coat with olive oil and a tiny squeeze of lemon and sprinkle of kosher salt. Lay flat on a baking sheet and bake in a 375 degree oven for 15 minutes. Another simply delicious recipe is Grilled Asparagus Salad with Fried Eggs. Asparagus would be a wonderful side dish to many of our recipes included in our menu for the week. We thought we should highlight some foods around the store that you may not have tried yet: Piacci Fior‑di‑Latte, or “flower of milk,” offers delicate flavor, reminiscent of handmade fresh Italian Mozzarella. Perfect to toss with tomatoes and fresh basil for … Continue reading

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Our glorious spring weather disappeared quickly with a dusting of snow so we turned to some heartier dishes for this week’s menu. One of the dishes this week is Speedy Baked Ziti. I was a fan of the Sopranos on HBO and all of the characters loved Carmella’s Ziti and a dish that brought the family together for Sunday dinner so when I ran across this recipe in Food and Wine, I had to give it a try! Another recipe this week is our Southwestern Pot Roast, a very simple recipe for the slow cooker that we serve with  provides another great meal with leftover pot roast used for Shredded Beef Quesadillas, here is our video for the quesadillas. The perfect accompaniment to either of these meal is our recipe for Cilantro Lime Rice: Cilantro Lime Rice Ingredients: 1 Cup Basmati Rice – Rinse lightly in cold water, then cook … Continue reading

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One of our favorite dinners growing up was “Dad’s Pancakes” made from scratch and unbelievably fluffy. The pancakes were always served with what is now referred to as simple syrup, we referred to it all those years ago as sugar syrup. While I would like to tell you that I continue to make Dad’s recipe, my time does not allow that to be the case, but that doesn’t stop us from enjoying pancakes for dinner! There are many good pancake mixes, I like a complete mix where all you have to do is add water, a quick and easy way to feed the family for dinner, add some “little sizzlers” or bacon with a giant glass of milk and your family will be very happy. That glass of milk can also help save BIG money at the gas pump as well. Save 10 cents per gallon of gas for EACH … Continue reading

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One of my favorite holiday traditions as a child was coloring the Easter eggs, as an adult one of my least favorite traditions was hard-boiling the eggs so the eggs could be dyed! Many years ago I discovered the secret of perfect hard-boiled eggs – I purchase them from the Deli at Festival. I prefer to purchase the eggs and dye them at home but the Deli team also prepares dyed eggs if that is your choice. Our Premium Quality Double Smoked Bone-In Ham is a holiday tradition for many families. Our ham is fully cooked; twice smoked over hard wood you may simply bake covered with foil or lid at 325 degrees for approximately 15 minutes per pound to an internal temperature of 140 degrees. This video featuring Festival team members Ray and Jason explains the advantages of purchasing and serving a premium quality ham. Leftover ham from your dinner may be … Continue reading

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